Launching apparatus for boats.



S. N. WESSBERG. LAUNCHING APPARATUS FOR BOATS:

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. I914. I ms we Patentedsept. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

S. N. WESSBERG. LAUNCHING APPARATUS FOR BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. I914- Pzitented Sept. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

SIG-F311) NELSON WESSBERG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

LAUNGHING APPARATUS FOR BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. s, 1915.

Application filed February 26, 1914. Serial No. 821,252.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Srcrnm NELsoN Wnss- BERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, Kings county, and State of New York, have invented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Launching Apparatus for Boats, of which the following is a specification.

My said invention consists in an improved construction and arrangement of parts of an apparatus for launching boats from the sides of ships, whereby the boats may be held steady and lowered on an even keel during the operation, regardless of the tilting of the ship or the condition of the water, and the boat launched with its bow headed away from the ship in whatever direction desired, so that the oarsmen are enabled to start the boat away from the ship, and out of danger of being dashed against its side immedately upon striking the water.

It further consists in improvements in various details whereby the operation may be performed in a convenient and eficient manner, all as will be hereinafter more fully describedand claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof, and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a view showing in diagrammatic form one side of the end of a ship equipped with my apparatus, Fig. 2 a top or plan view of the same, Fig. 3 a detail view showing one of the boats equipped with the necessary tackle as it appears just before it is launched, Fig. 4 a sectional view through one of the boats illustrating the de taching apparatus, and Fig. 5 a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the ship and boat as when the ship is rocking.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the ship, and B the boats.

The side of the ship is equipped, in the usual way, with boats B arranged in tiers and hung between davits 10 by ordinary block and tackle connections. For convenience in description the block and tackle at the two ends of the boat will. be separately designated. That in the bow of the boat comprises a block 11 attached to the davit, and a block 12 attached by means of a hook 13 to a ring 14 connected with the span 23 of the boat, and the usual cord 15, the end of which is connected to a cleat 16 on the side of the davit 10. The other, or stem end of the boat, is supported in a like manner by the blocks 17 and 18, hook 19, ring 20, and rope 21, which rope connects with the cleat 22 on the other davit. So far the apparatus 1s of common arrangement, the davit blocks being of any appropriate type. A span 23 extends from end to end of the boat and has the ring 14 at one end and ring 20 at the other. t is preferably formed in two parts connected by a center'ring 24. The stem end of the span has a block and tackle interposed therein, comprising blocks 25 and 26, and rope 27, the block 26 being connected by a hook 28 with the ring 20. Rope 2'? is held by a cleat 29 on block 26.

Interposed between each tier of boats on the side of the ship is a derrick consisting of a mast 30 with a swinging boom 31 attached thereto and appropriately guyed, trussed and braced. Said boom is preferably longer than the length of the boats so that its outer end will project far enough frem the side of the ship to permit the boats to be swung to point away from the ship. A cable 32, provided'with a hook 33 on its lower end runs over blocks 34 and 35 on the respective ends of said boom and is attached to connect with the ring 24 of the span 23 of any boat in either tier on either side of the mast.

Each boat is provided with engaging hooks 37 and 38, respectively, in its opposite ends. Said hooks are mounted on pivots and formed with arms projecting below said pivots which are pivotally connected to a rod 39. Said rod 39 is in turn pivotally connected to the lower end of a lever 40, mountedon a pivot 41 and formed with a hinge joint 42, as will be noticed, see particularly Fig. 4. By swinging lever 40 in one direction the hooks will be thrown down so that their points will disengage from the rings 14 and 20, respectively, and thus at one movement release the boat wholly from all of the supporting tackle. When not in use lever 40 is tilted over on its hingeout of the way.

In operation, it being desired to launch one of the boats B, the hook 33 on cable 32 is connected into the ring 24 of the span 23 of the boat which it is desired to launch. The boom 31 is swung to extend at angle out from the ship, being swung and held as desired by means of'the guy ropes 44. The boat is lowered by paying out ropes 15 and 21 from the davit blocks 11 and 17 respectively, which carries the boat away from the side of the ship, because of the connection with the cable 32 hanging from the outer end of boom 31, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. When near the water a person in the boat begins to pay out line 27 of the blocks 25 and 26, lengthening the distance between ring 24 of the span 23 and the stern of the boat, and operating to throw the bow end of the boat around to point away from the ship in the direction desired. It is thus lowered steadily, on an even keel, and held inposition so that the moment it strikes the water and is released from the tackle, by the tilting of lever 40, the oarsmen can pull away from the ship and out of danger of being dashed against its side, or otherwise injured thereby. This regardless of any tilting of the ship or rough water. The lowering apparatus may then be hauled up and another boat in the same tier launched in the same manner. After all the boats in one tier have been launched then the boom can be swung around to the next tier of boats which will be launched in the same manner. Thus one derrick will be sufficient to launch two tiers of boats, as will be readily understood.

When not in use the derricks are swung in and made fast above the outside boat so that they will not in any way disfigure the appearance of the ship. In the drawings I have illustratedthe derricks as composed of steel, but it will be readily understood they mag be of any material found appropriate.

aving thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A launching apparatus comprising a derrick located between tiers of boats on the deck of a ship and having a swinging boom adapted to extend beyond the ships side more than the length of the boat to be launched, a lowering tackle on said boom, davits for supporting the boats, davit blocks and tackle connected with said davits and adapted to be connected with the boat, a boat hung on said davit blocks, a detachable span connected to each end of said boat and provided with means midway its length for connection with the lowering tackle on the boom, one end of said span including a block and tackle whereby said end may be lengthened while the boat is being lowered, substantially. as set forth..

2. A launching apparatus for boats comprising tackle connecting the boat with davits on the ship, a lowering apparatus ar ranged to be swung out and hang a distance from the side of the ship, a span detachably connected with each end of the boat, one end of which includes means for lengthening said end as the boat is being lowered, and means in the normal center of said span for connecting the same with the lowering means, substantially as set forth.-

3. A launching apparatus for boats comprising tackle supporting said boat at each end from davits on the ship, a lowering apparatus extending from a boom over the side of the ship, a span attached at each end neously, means for operating said rod, av

span connected with said pivoted hooks and having a centrally located means for connection with the lowering apparatus, a block and tackle interposed in one end of said span to lengthen the same, davit blocks connected to each end of said span, and the lowering apparatus connected with the central attaching means of said span, substantially as set forth.

5. A launching apparatus for boats comprising tilting hooks connected in the respective ends of the boats, means for tilting said hooks simultaneously, a span having a ring at each end connected with said hooks and a ring in the center for connection with the lowering apparatus, davit blocks connected in said end rings for supporting the boat, and said lowering apparatus including a swinging boom attached to extend beyond the side of the ship, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Brooklyn, New York, this 24th day of February, A. D. nineteen hundred. and fourteen.

SIGFRID NELSON WESSBERG. [1 5.

Witnesses:

J. ARTHUR MATTERN, JOHN L. CoNLnY. 

